


Violence In Hi-Def Ultra-Realism

by meiloslyther



Category: Bandom, Cobra Starship, Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, Panic! at the Disco, Phantom Planet, The Academy Is..., The Like, The Young Veins
Genre: AU, Apocalypse, Disability, F/M, In Public, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-06-20
Updated: 2011-02-12
Packaged: 2017-11-19 11:01:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/572555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meiloslyther/pseuds/meiloslyther
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In 2018, six years after mutated animals began to roam the earth and nearly killed off the human race, Ryan and Brendon finally found what they'd been searching for.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> For the prompt "stranded/survival scenario" on my [](http://hc-bingo.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://hc-bingo.livejournal.com/)**hc_bingo** card.

Ryan hefted his machine gun over his bare shoulder and wiped the sweat off his forehead with a dirty handkerchief. The little bastard had gotten buff in the past five years, refusing to use anything smaller than a shotgun and he didn't have a shoulder strap to take the load off while traveling. He said that handguns weren't big enough for the shit we were dealing with.

He stopped bitching at me when I saved his ass from one of those... _things_... with a pair of Berettas.

He had long since discarded the leather jacket he had been wearing at the start of this mess because it no longer fit his arms and shoulders. Nowadays, he was sporting only a sleeveless shirt, that stupid scarf, his riding pants and calf-high boots. I had left the sleeves on my shirt only to block out the sun, not to mention my leather pants had proved useful during this little adventure when one of those little mutated bitches tried to bite me.

"Fuck, it's hot," he muttered, adjusting his goggles and shaking his trigger hand out. We had been walking across the barren landscape for who knew how long, headed for the next city: Vegas.

We were looking for survivors. We weren't very hopeful.

"You said that ten minutes ago," I replied, pulling out my canteen.

"Well, it's still hot."

I nodded, taking a swig of water before moving my goggles out of the way and splashing my face. I didn't want to think about what we must have smelled like after nearly a week without a proper bath, our clothes caked in dirt, sweat, and blood. But hell, if we did find survivors, I was sure they wouldn't mind too much because they probably smelled pretty rank too.

Ryan was holding his hand up to keep the sun out of his eyes as he squinted off into the distance. "Hey, what's that?"

I rolled my eyes at him, pulling my goggles back down. "You and I both know you can't see five feet in front of your face without your glasses on, dumbfuck."

"I may not be able to see it, but I can hear it, shithead. Look for me."

I gazed out in the direction he was facing and, sure enough, I could hear something as a tiny black smudge raced towards us. "Fuck, what is that?"

"I don't know, I can't see it, remember?"

Wary, I pulled my guns out, ready for whatever was coming. Ryan shrugged his gun off his shoulder and put his hand back on the handle, pointing the barrel at the ground with his feet planted firmly in the sand.

As the smudge drew closer, I realized that it was some sort of armored vehicle, and the rumbling, growling sound was its turbo-diesel engine. I relaxed, knowing for damn sure that those creatures didn't have the mental capacity to drive, let alone the anatomy. I shuddered at the thought of those things.

"It's a vehicle of some sort, Ry, relax," I told him, putting my guns back.

He snorted at me and shouldered his gun again.

When it was close enough to tell that it was an old Oshkosh M-ATV with a mounted gun pointed right at us, I waved amiably. The guy in the turret let go of the gun then and waved back, flashing the peace sign. They stopped about ten feet in front of us, the driver stepping out as the gunner climbed down, and walked up to us. The driver looked like a total nerd in his old-school goggles, headband, and tattered thermal shirt, even with the scruffy beard. The gunner looked like he belonged on the front of some biker magazine: long hair, full beard, aviator sunglasses, a dirty white undershirt, and a leather jacket with thumb holes ripped into the fabric cuffs. He was such a badass, he wasn't even wearing his goggles; they hung around his neck instead.

"Looks like we found us a couple of survivors here, Spence," the nerdy guy called to the badass, stepping up to me.

"I was just about to say the same thing," I commented with a smile, holding out my hand. "Brendon."

"Jon," he greeted, waving Spence over. "And this is Spencer."

I shook Spencer's offered hand and shoved Ryan's shoulder. "This is the jerkoff I call Ryan."

Ryan nodded and shook both Jon and Spencer's hands. "Hi."

"He may look like he can kick your ass now, but you should have seen him five years ago. He was a scrawny little shit."

Ryan punched me in the arm, hard. "Fuck you, you're just jealous."

I snorted but still rubbed the spot he punched.

"So, where were you guys headed? If you were trying for Boulder City, good luck. There's nothing left," Spencer informed us, picking his teeth with his fingernail.

"Nah, we just came from there. We're headed for Vegas. All the small towns we've been through have been trashed," I replied, glancing around. "Decided we'd go bigger," I added with a grin at Ryan.

Ryan rolled his eyes at me.

"That's almost twenty miles away. You guys were just _walking_ there?" Jon inquired incredulously.

I scuffed the heel of my boot against the sand, kicking up a small cloud of dust. "Well, yeah. Haven't had a proper vehicle since an incident with a big furry-thing about a year back. Fucker was about the size of a tank."

Jon laughed and clapped me on the shoulder, turning back to the M-ATV. "Well, fuck that. Come on, we'll give you guys a lift. We were headed for Vegas anyway."

I elbowed Ryan slightly and followed them to the vehicle, hopping in the back. Ryan climbed in on the other side and Jon got us moving north-northwest.

"You guys got any food? I'm starving," Ryan muttered, his gun settled in his lap like a favorite puppy. "Fatass over here ate the last of our supply about an hour ago."

"Hey, you told me to take the last can, dickface. And my ass is not that fat," I grumbled defensively, crossing my arms over my chest.

Ryan stuck his tongue out at me childishly.

"Yeah, we got a few cans left," Spencer told him, ignoring our bickering, turning around in his seat. "In the floor there. We're gonna have to scavenge for more in Vegas, though. That's why we're out here."

Ryan nodded and reached down for the closest can, shaking it.

"Sounds like pork 'n' beans. Good choice," Jon called back.

Ryan sat back with the can in hand and pulled out his twelve inch Bowie knife, stabbing a hole in the side near the top and prying the top off. "Shit, Jon, how the hell?"

"After a few years of having to guess because the cheap-ass labels faded? You learn to tell the difference between fruit and vegetables, man."

I laughed. "Yeah, well, Ryan here will eat just about anything. We survived on uninfected rats and bugs for about six months a couple of years back."

"I used to eat scorpions before I found your ass," Ryan retorted, tipping the can up and slurping the beans noisily.

"Point. And would you stop slurping?"

Ryan turned to me and did it louder, trying to annoy me.

"Don't make me have to punch you in the head."

"Children," Spencer warned.

About thirty minutes later we reached the outskirts of what used to be downtown Vegas. There was nothing left of McCarran except for the beaten concrete of the runway, and the deteriorated shells of the Luxor and Excalibur loomed before us. Farther back in the distance, the replica Eiffel Tower leaned casually to the side and only a few pieces of New York New York were left. Even farther north were the remains of the Stratosphere Tower, the top half of it lopped off and lying on its side on the ground.

"What a hell-hole," Spencer muttered from the front seat, leaning forward to get a better look. "Haven't been through here in ages."

I whistled lowly in agreement.

"Fuck," Ryan muttered beside me; he used to live in Vegas.

We drove around until we found a supermarket that was still standing and hopped out. Ryan and I had our guns, but I hadn't seen Jon or Spencer with any kind of weapons.

"How do you kids defend yourselves?" I wondered aloud as Jon stepped around to the back of the M-ATV. I suddenly noticed the small trailer hitched to the back, which was where both Jon and Spencer headed.

"You thought we wouldn't have weapons? You gotta be kidding me," Jon answered skeptically, opening the back of the trailer and pulling out a pump-action shotgun with a detachable magazine. Spencer grabbed a double shoulder holster with what looked like a pair of Uzi Pistols already in it.

Ryan chuckled. "You boys fight dirty."

"Sure do," Spencer replied with a grin, securing his holster before checking his ammo.

"Admirable," I added, following Jon towards the front door, Ryan and Spencer soon behind us.

There had been no electricity on the main grid for what felt like forever, so obviously the automatic sliding doors didn't work. Jon had to pry them open before we could step inside, the stale air almost suffocating, not to mention the repulsive stench of rotten food. Ryan simply covered his mouth and nose with his scarf, but the rest of us had to suffer. A swarm of flies escaped through the open door but hundreds more flocked around us, and we had to bat our way through them.

"Alright, let's split up. Brendon, you go with Spencer and collect food. I'll take Ryan and look for anything we can use," Jon ordered, having to raise his voice over the buzzing of the flies. "Let's be quick about it, the smell is gonna kill me."

I nodded and followed Spencer down an aisle, searching for the canned food. Anything non-perishable. Of course, by now, anything that was perishable had already done so.

"Five years, huh?" Spencer called back to me, swatting flies and turning down another aisle. "That means you two didn't meet until a year after."

"Yeah," I replied, gagging as we came across a partially decomposed body, the bones on the forearms and lower legs picked nearly clean, clothes still hanging off the blackened skin, albeit in pieces.

It had been a woman. Tall, thin, probably no older than twenty-five, guessing by the style of the clothes.

Spencer turned around, eyes closed, and swallowed. "God, no matter how many times you see it..." He opened his eyes again and pushed me back, dragging me down another aisle. "So. Ryan. How did you meet him?"

I took a deep breath through my nose and did my best to ignore the smell, grateful for the change of subject. "Met him in a refugee camp after our families were killed off by mobs of... what do you guys call them?"

"Depends. If they've got fur, they're Furs. Got scales, Lizards. Feathers, Birds. Just skin, Moles."

I raised my eyebrows in surprise, humming thoughtfully. "Well, then, my family was killed off by Birds. Ryan's by Lizards. But anyway, we were in a refugee camp for a while. Then the camp was attacked, by anything and everything, so we grabbed some stuff and jacked an old Jeep. Been on the move ever since."

He nodded to show that he was listening, taking off his jacket suddenly. He started pulling cans off of a nearby shelf and stuffing them into a hole between the liner and the outside of the jacket. "Hey, I think I saw some carts around here. Mind grabbing one?"

"Sure," I called as I jogged down the aisle and glanced around. There was a group of carts near the front door, and I quickly went over to snag one.

I was halfway back to the aisle Spencer was on when I heard Ryan scream from behind me, "Brendon, look out!"

Acting on instinct, I grabbed my guns and spun around on one foot, aiming at at the four foot tall Mole, as Spencer called it, that was standing only a foot away from me. Feeling the adrenaline rush, I took a couple of steps back as I quickly fired off several rounds into its mangled face at point blank range. It made that too familiar gurgling noise and dropped to the ground, a pool of orangey blood spreading around it. I heaved a sigh and holstered my guns again.

"You alright?" Spencer called from the end of the aisle.

I looked up to see Jon and Ryan standing about five aisles down, Ryan's face white as a ghost, eyes wide and hands trembling on his gun. He looked genuinely scared, and I hated that look on him.

I nodded then. "I'm fine."

We finished gathering food and supplies and hightailed it out of the supermarket, throwing our finds in the trailer before getting back in the M-ATV. Jon started the engine back up and headed west.

"Where are we off to now?" Ryan asked, his eyes trained on the view out the window; what was left of the view, at least.

"We've cleared out an old blast shelter," Spencer answered, kicking his heels up on the dashboard, "in California. It's safer to sleep there. More comfortable too."

The shelter was about two hours away, so Jon and I sang songs none of us had heard in years for entertainment. Jon told us they had an old generator there, something just powerful enough to keep the place lit and ventilated, but it was a little flaky. He mentioned a small collection of books, and Ryan perked up a little at that.

The sun hung low in the sky when we reached an isolated area blocked off by a tall, chain-link containment fence. Spencer jumped out and opened the gate, letting Jon drive through before closing it behind us. Jon parked and we all piled out, Ryan and I glancing around curiously. Spencer went over to what looked like the entrance to a basement, unlocking the discus padlock chaining the doors together.

"Over here, guys," he called to Ryan and I, handing each of us a load of supplies before following Jon down the stairs. We went after them quickly, and Spencer chained the doors together from the inside as we stepped through the blast door at the bottom of the stairs.

Jon set down his load of supplies next to the humming generator, flipped on the single overhead light, and spread his arms wide. "Welcome home, boys."

The room was cozy but not too small, maybe twenty by twenty, with a full set of kitchen cabinets in one corner and a pair of queen sized beds in the other. A small living room set was in the third corner with a low coffee table in the middle, an old CB radio set on top of it. There was an ancient copper washtub behind one of the couches, and a folding card table made the space between the cabinets and the beds into a sort of eating area.

Ryan placed his armful of supplies next to Jon's, and Spencer and I did the same. "Damn, I haven't seen a place look this good since the refugee camp," he mumbled, watching Jon set his gun in a cabinet by the washtub and following suit. "Does that sink work?"

"Yeah, the water runs, but the drain must be blocked, that's why there's a plastic tub in there," Spencer explained, holding his hand out for my guns, so I unbuckled my thigh holsters and handed them off. He neatly placed them on a shelf next to his own holster and closed the cabinet. "There's a drain in the washtub though, so we just pour it down that. Unfortunately, there's no faucet on the washtub, so you have to fill a bucket at the sink a few times and bring it over here to fill the tub."

I realized Spencer had removed his sunglasses, and I had never seen eyes that blue.

"It's a little insane," Jon added, pulling off his goggles and that awful headband, and he suddenly didn't look so nerdy, in fact, he was kind of adorable. "But what isn't these days?"

"What about a toilet?" I inquired hopefully. I hadn't taken a piss since earlier that morning and I was starting to feel it.

Spencer stepped over to the corner by the door, pulling the lid off the ten gallon bucket sitting there. "Last person to use it tonight has to empty it in the morning." He smirked, setting the lid down on the floor.

I nodded. "Fair enough," I agreed, huddling into the corner and unzipping my pants.

"Who wants a smoke? Jon and I found some earlier," Ryan called from where he was hovering over the mass of cans, plucking out an unopened pack of cigarettes.

"What the fuck kind of question is that?" Spencer replied, and I could hear Ryan opening the pack.

"Give me one, Ry," I whined, hearing matches popping as they were lit.

I heard Ryan's boots clunking against the concrete, and suddenly he was grabbing my face and turning it, pressing a cigarette between my lips. He lit a match, his eyes never leaving mine, and held it in front of my face. I puffed on my cigarette to get it lit and he shook the match out, his eyes trailing down slightly before he caught himself and moved away.

Blinking a little in surprise, I shook off and zipped my pants up again, replacing the lid on the bucket.

"So, how long have you two known each other?" Ryan was asking, perched on the smaller of the two couches, Jon and Spencer on the larger one.

"You guys have us beat by two years," Spencer replied, glancing up as I came around to sit next to Ryan. "I found Jon and a couple of his friends hiding out in an abandoned building. They were in pretty bad shape."

"There was originally a big group of us, nine including me. We had been ambushed by a flock of Birds the size of small fighter jets." Jon took a particularly long drag, as if he were trying to keep his composure. "Only four of us walked away. Butcher crawled away, but he didn't last long. Sisky was gone a few days later." He looked over at Spencer then, looking for help.

"My friend Zack and I found him, Bilvy, and Tom huddled together for warmth, trembling with shock. They had managed to tourniquet or cauterize the worst of their wounds, but they were pretty worse for wear." Spencer placed a comforting hand on Jon's shoulder, taking a quick drag. "Luckily Zack and I had some extra medical supplies in the back of an old ambulance we had been using for transport."

"The five of us traveled together for a while. We found the M-ATV while we were with them, and Spence and I would drive it while Zack and the other two took the ambulance. One day a Bird that could have taken out the Hindenburg swooped down and carried off the ambulance." Jon shook his head, as if he still couldn't believe it. "Never saw them again," he added quietly.

Ryan sunk down a little in his seat, awed. "Shit."

"That sucks, man," I chimed in, a cloud of smoke forming in front of my face.

Jon nodded, leaning forward to put his cigarette out in one of the ashtrays on the coffee table. "Hey, if you guys need a bath, there's a bucket under the sink you can use to fill the tub with. I'm gonna get some sleep."

"Sounds like a plan," Spencer concurred, taking one last drag before putting out his own cigarette and standing up to follow Jon over to the beds. "There's soap and shampoo in the bucket too. Towels are in the top left cabinet. Stopper's already in the drain."

"Are you trying to tell us that we smell bad?" I joked, getting up to find said bucket. Ryan got up then as well, headed for the toilet.

"Well, you boys don't exactly smell like roses," Jon replied from where he sat on the bed in the very corner, tugging off his boots.

I grinned over my shoulder at him as I found the extra ten gallon bucket and grabbed the soap out of it before beginning to fill it with water. "Point taken."

Jon and Spencer stripped down to their underwear and crawled into one bed, pulling a wool blanket over themselves. "Good night," one of them muttered, and it sounded like Jon.

I shut the water off when the bucket was full and lugged it over to the tub, carefully pouring it in so that it wouldn't splash. I estimated that I'd need to do that at least four more times. "Ry, come help." Together we easily filled the tub, and I brought the soap and towels over, setting them on the back of the couch and using the bottom of the upended bucket as a soap tray.

"Ladies first," Ryan told me with a smirk.

"There's room for both of us," I offered, tugging my shirt off. "Besides, we should wash our underwear first."

Ryan shrugged and started stripping, dunking his shorts in the water once he was naked. I did the same, also scrubbing the pit stains off of my shirt. We laid our wet clothes out on the table, hoping they'd dry by morning. Then we got in the tub, Ryan fitting his long legs over mine.

He grinned at me as I dunked my head in the water and started scrubbing my hair.

"What?"

He just shook his head and followed my lead, taking the shampoo from my hands when I was through with it. "Nothing. Just been a while."

I blushed, immediately knowing exactly what he was referring to. I knew for a fact that it had been at least five years since he got laid, the same for me, and after going that long only seeing one other person, you tended to get a little restless. By then, there's no such thing as gay or straight anymore, only release.

"I mean, not that... well, I do, but... If you don't... you know...," he spluttered then, going more red in the face than I felt. "...We're at least safe down here."

I rinsed my hair out and grabbed the soap, beginning to scrub under my arms. "Can we just get clean for now?"

He nodded and ducked down to rinse his hair before sitting up and waiting for the soap. I finished washing and handed the bar over, wiggling out from under his legs so I could stand. I dried off and stepped out of the tub with one of the towels wrapped around my waist, going over to check our clothes. They were still damp, obviously, but I figured I'd hang them over the back of the chairs so that they'd dry faster.

Ryan's hands landed on my waist from out of nowhere and he rested his chin on my shoulder.

"Can you be quiet?" I asked, giving in almost too easily. Not that I was trying to avoid it, I just didn't want to wake up Jon or Spencer.

"I was more worried about you being loud," he answered, slipping my towel off and letting one hand wander dangerously close to my cock.

"I can be quiet if you can."

I felt him smirk against my neck as he grabbed my cock, already half hard. "Deal."

He bent me over the counter next to the sink and fucked me ruthlessly until we both came, and he gently sat me down on the empty bed before wiping off the mess I had made on the cabinets. He joined me on the bed then and molded himself to my back, pulling the wool blanket at the foot of the bed far up enough to cover us. I relaxed in his embrace, and we fell asleep quickly.

***

"Hey, lovebirds. Wake up."

I felt Ryan shift beside me before a wad of fabric hit me in the face. I opened my eyes to find my shirt and underwear, clean and now dry. Beside me, Ryan was already wiggling into his own underwear under the blanket, a blush creeping up his cheeks.

"If you made a mess, I hope you cleaned it up," Spencer added nonchalantly, shaking a can.

Realizing why Ryan had been blushing, I suddenly felt my face get hot too.

Jon was sitting in the recliner in the far corner, tinkering with the CB radio, and Spencer was hunched over the supply box, picking out breakfast. When Ryan was decent, he got up and took the keys to the lock from Spencer, grabbing the toilet bucket and stepping out.

Quickly pulling on my boxers, I went over to Jon, tugging my shirt over my head as I settled on the big couch. "Anything?"

He held up the index finger of his free hand, the international symbol for 'wait', as he continued to try to pick up a signal. There was mostly static for a minute or two, then...

"...ears on? I repeat, assistance needed... Two men down... Furs the size of houses... Please, anybody got their ears on?..." The voice was distinctively female, distressed.

Jon grabbed the mic as Ryan returned. "Ten-four, ma'am. This is Jon, what's your twenty?"

"Oh thank god," she replied, and there was some yelling in the background. "This is VT... 'bout a hundred miles east of Bakersfield in an abandoned gas station... pretty severe wounds... How 'bout 'cha, Jon?"

Spencer and Jon shared a look before Jon answered. "We'll be at your twenty ASAP, yeah?"

"...Ten-four."

"Over and out." Jon set the mic back down and stood, going over to help Spencer gather up supplies. "Get dressed, and fast," he directed at Ryan and I.

We practically stumbled over each other, racing to get our clothes and boots on. Jon handed us our guns, and I hopped out after everyone, still trying to buckle my thigh holsters.

"Let's get a move on, B!" Jon called, and I finally got them buckled, racing up the stairs and into the sunlight, jumping into the M-ATV with Ryan and Spencer.

Spencer was driving this time, so Jon was left to lock the doors and open the gate. Spencer hauled ass as soon as Jon was inside, barely waiting for him to get his door closed. What should have probably been a four hour trip only took two and a half, and Jon quickly located the gas station by conversing with VT over the radio in the M-ATV.

There were no signs of any remaining house-sized Furs, however, there were a couple that stood almost six feet tall still looming around the front door, so we took them down before going in. Jon was the first one through the door, so of course, he was the first one to be tackled by a girl almost Spencer's height that I assumed to be VT. She was wearing a black, short sleeved dress that stopped just above mid thigh, a pair of thigh holsters peeking out from underneath, and a tattered pair of black, low top Converse.

"Oh my god, you boys are lifesavers!" she crooned, clutching Jon to her chest. "Come on, the guys are over here." She dragged Jon into the back room, and the rest of us followed.

It was a royal mess. There were blood stains all over the floor, and two of the guys were trying to tend to a third, a scarf tied around his left thigh. In the corner was a tarp covering what I assumed to be a fourth that couldn't wait for us.

"They're here," she said to the three on the ground.

The two hovering over their friend moved so that Spencer could look him over. He shot Jon a glance that almost hurt to look at.

"Jon, get this one in the trailer."

Jon nodded and picked the guy up, carrying him outside. As he passed me at the door, he shook his head at Ryan and I, signaling ' _he's not gonna make it._ ' I had a feeling Jon wasn't taking him to the trailer, but around to the side of the building to bury him when he stopped fighting the inevitable.

"What about you three?" Spencer asked then, looking pointedly at VT and the two guys. One had a fairly short haircut, skinny jeans, running sneakers, and a t-shirt that read, ' _Because I'm Gabe Saporta, and I can do that._ ' The other had longer hair, acid wash jeans and a suit jacket.

"VT and I just had some minor cuts and we patched up Ryland here the best we could," the guy with the shorter hair explained, and by his shirt I guessed his name was probably Gabe, clapping Ryland on the shoulder. "He seems okay to me."

Ryland nodded. "I'm fine."

We could all hear Jon burst through the front door and sprint into the room with us. "We got company, you guys. Lizards. Big ones. Lots of them," he panted, eyes wide.

Sure enough, moments later we heard a _thump_ and a _ksssh_ as the glass up front shattered, and all of us readied our weapons.

"Everyone out, don't let them corner us!" Jon shouted over a deafening shriek, cocking his gun as he darted out of the doorway.

Ryan stepped out before me, immediately firing off a string of shots as he began to circle around the building opposite to Jon. I motioned for VT, who was behind me, to follow Jon as I went after Ryan, catching one of those scaly bastards right in the head with a single well aimed shot. I couldn't tell how many more of them there were, but I was sure there was enough firepower among the seven of us to take most of them out.

Jon, Ryan, VT, Spencer and I had made it outside the building when there was an anguished cry, one of the guys inside yelling, "Shit." There was an excess of gunfire, then another shout. "Fire in the hole!" One of them must have had a grenade, because there was a small explosion, then Gabe was running out of the cloud of smoke and debris, Ryland's rifle slung across his back. "Let's get the fuck out of here!" he yelled, running towards us.

"What about Ryland?" VT asked, although she followed us to the M-ATV anyway.

Gabe just shook his head.

Jon climbed up to the turret before yelling down to us. "Spencer, you drive. Everyone else, pile in the truck. I know there's not enough seats, someone sit in someone's lap. I'll keep 'em off our asses."

We didn't ask questions, just climbed in. VT chose to sit in Gabe's lap, her legs stretched across to mine. Intermittent shots rang out from above as Jon picked off whatever was still following us, Spencer pushing the redline towards the bunker.

"He's dead," I heard Gabe whisper to VT, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, holding his head to her chest.

"At least we made it, right?" she whispered back, kissing his hair and grabbing one of his hands, pressing it to her stomach.

Gabe simply held on to her tighter, shaking a little, and I knew he was either trying not to cry, or was trying to hide the fact that he was.

We got back to the shelter and everyone collapsed on a couch, a chair, or a bed, except for Jon, who was presumably riding on a pretty good adrenaline high still.

"Who's hungry?" he offered, beginning to pull cans out of the supply box. It was more of a rhetorical question than anything, as he passed out something to everyone, urging us to eat.

Spencer finally grabbed Jon's wrist and made him sit down on the couch.

"So, what happened to Nate?" Gabe asked, although his tone made it sound more like, ' _He's dead too, isn't he?_ '

Jon looked forlornly into his can of food. "I'm sorry."

We continued to eat in solemn silence, and I was pondering where everyone would sleep that night. Not that someone couldn't sleep on the couch and the rest of us share the two beds, but it would be a little cramped.

"B?" Ryan muttered, and I looked up, startled out of my thoughts. Everyone else was huddled on the couches by then, conversing easily.

"What?"

"You were staring off into space. Just wondering if you were alright."

I nodded robotically, my standard response to those kinds of questions. None of us had been truly 'alright' since this started, but the term seemed to be fairly relative.

He reached across the table to take my hand. "No, I mean." He looked down at the table before meeting my eyes again, squeezing my hand a little.

I felt myself smile slightly and leaned towards him, pulling him close for a soft, chaste kiss before resting our foreheads together.

"I love you, you know," he whispered, eyes darting from one of mine to the other to keep from going cross-eyed.

I squeezed his hand. "That's all that matters."


	2. Chapter 2

We all learned a lot about each other over the next several days. VT was only a year older than Jon, who was the oldest out of the original four, a bit quieter than the rest of us, and she seemed to be a real deep thinker. She was always the most logical and practical one, sometimes almost painfully so. Her real name was Victoria, although she preferred to be called Vicky-T. She didn't mind VT, but she said it was just her radio handle and that the guys only ever called her that in emergency or desperate situations where anything longer would just take too long. I told her life was a desperate situation these days. The name stuck.

Gabe, once he stopped sulking over Nate, Ryland, and Alex, just so happened to be the loudest, even more than me, which was surprising, considering he was five years older than VT. He was a real joker, and loved to wrangle me into pulling pranks on everyone else. The two of us hit it off pretty fast, and he actually started likening me to a little brother after a while.

VT and Gabe were also apparently a couple, and had been for years. There had supposedly been plans for marriage before everything. They were just doing their best to survive.

Jon and Spencer were a lot like Ryan and I; survivor hunters. Every morning, one of them was on the radio, scanning the channels for anything and everything. If there was nothing, which was most days, they would go out in the M-ATV and search the surrounding area for activity. Sometimes they'd go alone, other times we would join them. They weren't openly a couple, but they weren't denying anything either. I had my suspicions. Like that one time they 'left' and were back barely a half hour later; not a sufficient amount of time to have _gone_ anywhere. But I kept my thoughts to myself.

Ryan and I definitely considered ourselves a couple and, well, we just tried to be courteous to everyone else.

"Stop breathing so loud," he whispered in my ear, never missing a beat with his even thrusts.

"Stop being so damn good in bed," I hissed back, trying to calm down a little and clinging to him tighter.

He bit down on my earlobe in response and I squirmed, doing my best not to make a sound as his panting turned shaky in my ear. He was pounding right into my prostate, and all I could do was claw at his shoulder blades and come with a silent moan, stars exploding in front of my eyes in the dark.

"Fuck." I just barely heard him curse under his breath before he bit down on my shoulder to stay quiet as he suddenly came to a stop, his hips pressed tightly to the back of my thighs. He trembled in my arms as he came down, hips twitching involuntarily with the aftershocks.

"You bit the bruise you left the other day," I told him breathlessly, reaching for the tissues hidden between the mattress and the wall.

He pulled out carefully and helped clean up. "Sorry, babe." He collapsed at my side and tugged me close, kissing my abused shoulder before trailing up to my lips. We kissed lazily for a moment before curling up in each other and easily falling asleep to the symphony of Jon and Spencer's light snoring from the bed beside us and the synchronized breathing of VT and Gabe from the sleeper sofa.

***

"We need to go out for supplies again," Spencer announced the next morning as he turned off the radio, once again getting nothing. Ryan, Jon, and I took that as our cue to get dressed.

"Do you want us to go with you?" VT asked from her place on the pull-out bed, a half-asleep Gabe still curled around her.

"Under different circumstances, I'd tell you to stay put," Jon muttered, pulling his shirt over his head. "But we might need Gabe, and we're not leaving you here by yourself."

"Someone call me?" Gabe muttered sleepily into VT's side, his eyes still closed. He was not a morning person at all.

VT petted Gabe's hair until he opened his eyes. "Yes, hon, it's time to wake up." Gabe grumbled something unintelligible and rolled over to find his clothes. "But I'm safer here," she pointed out to Jon then.

"That's your call." Spencer sat down on the love-seat to pull his boots on. "But we don't really like leaving anyone alone anywhere, safe or not."

VT crawled out from under the blanket and grabbed her dress, pulling it on right in front of Spencer. Spencer didn't look up.

Ryan was already at the gun cabinet, checking his ammo. He handed Jon and I our weapons before standing aside and waiting for everyone else. Spencer came over when he had his boots on, grabbing his holster and handing VT hers when she sidled up next to him. Gabe was hopping around on one foot trying to get his shoe on as Ryan opened the blast door, letting everyone out.

"Come on, slowpoke," VT called to Gabe, and he finally got his shoe on, running over to grab his rifle before following everyone else out.

Ryan was driving the M-ATV and VT's permanent seat was Gabe, so that left Spencer, Jon, and I to figure out who would get a seat by themselves and who would have to sit on whose lap. Jon offered to let me sit in his lap, and that totally blew my relationship theory, but then again it didn't once I thought about it for a minute.

You tend to think a lot in an end of the world situation.

Unfortunately, Sacramento was the closest city that we hadn't ransacked for supplies yet, so we were up for a long drive. To keep ourselves entertained, we played silly games and told stupid jokes, Jon and I would sing a little, and Gabe would join in if he knew the words. I tried to get Ryan to sing too, but he complained that he was too busy driving. As if driving across the desert took that much concentration.

We reached a large grocery store in Sacramento a little after noon, and we all took a moment to eat something. Then we piled out, and Jon dictated who would be where. Ryan and I would stand guard outside the front door to prevent the fiasco that happened at the gas station, VT and Gabe would gather supplies inside, and Jon and Spencer would search the surrounding area for anything they could use.

So we split up, and Ryan and I leaned against the front windows casually.

"You totally owe me," Ryan announced triumphantly, picking the dirt out from under his fingernails with a grin.

I scoffed at him. "No way. No way, they are totally together! You can't just call that shit now, Ry." Okay, so Ryan and I were kind of betting on whether Jon and Spencer were together or not. Ryan was kind of winning.

"Jon offered to let _you_ sit in his lap, not Spencer. I think that counts."

"No, they're just trying to be covert," I argued, my theory already rock solid. "They don't want us to know they're together, so they're trying to throw us off."

Ryan just laughed at me.

"No, I'm serious! Why do you think they always go off together?"

Ryan shook his head. "You're pushing it, B. They're always together because VT and Gabe are a couple, and we're a couple, and that makes them the only two left. Simple as that."

Desperate times call for desperate measures. I had to pull out my secret weapon. "What about that time they only left for a half hour?"

Ryan froze, staring off into space.

"And that one time that you thought VT and Gabe were having sex? Those noises were _not_ coming from the sleeper."

Ryan scuffed the heel of his boot against the ground. "Okay, so that's like, two times. And the second one you were half asleep just like me. Doesn't mean anything."

"You just don't want me to be right," I sing-songed, grinning mischievously at him.

He rolled his eyes. "You're still sucking my cock later."

I punched him in the arm and he wrestled me up against the window, pinning me with his hips as he pressed a soft kiss to my lips, both of us grinning.

"Hey, you two, none of that here," VT called from the front door, but she was grinning, and we pulled apart slowly. We helped her and Gabe get all the supplies in the trailer before wondering about Spencer and Jon.

"They shouldn't be too far," Ryan assured us, and as if on cue, a sharp whistle broke through the silence of the empty town. We quickly followed the sound, finding Spencer and Jon next to an almost brand new SUV covered in dust, both of them staring at the ground like it would give them the answer to life.

"Found it half buried in a pile of debris," Spencer explained as I stepped up next to him, trying to figure out what the hell they were looking for. "Looking to see if we can find the key."

I clapped him on the shoulder. "Twelve eyes are better than four."

We all spread out then, scanning the ground of the surrounding area for the key. I only found some rocks and a small piece of torn denim, and no one else looked like they were finding anything either. I was about to give up when I heard Spencer squawk indignantly.

"Shit," he muttered, and I turned around just in time to see him fall over backward, trying to scramble backwards and grab his guns at the same time. It was then that I saw the Bird, probably eight feet tall at least, looming over him.

"Oh. Fuck," I breathed and, since no one else was close, I grabbed my guns and went after the Bird myself. It screeched in pain as I got it right in the eye on the first shot, the second cracking its beak. It flailed wildly, stomping down with its huge feet, and Spencer screamed as one of the Bird's huge talons ripped through his right leg. I aimed my next four shots at its head, and it finally flopped over and died.

"Spencer?" Jon called worriedly as he ran over, the other three behind him. "Shit."

By the time Jon reached us, I had gotten Spencer's belt off and wrapped it tight around his leg just above the giant gash in his thigh. He was gritting his teeth against the pain, one hand clenched in my shirt, and I helped Jon carry him back to the trailer where he immediately ripped Spencer's pant leg open wider, exposing the extent of the damage. The gash was at least a foot long, but it didn't look deep enough to cause permanent damage.

Jon handed me his handkerchief. "Sit behind Spin and gag him." As I moved, he dug an old clothes iron out and lit a match, holding the metal of the iron to the flame. I knelt behind Spencer, the handkerchief stretched between both of my hands where I held it in Spencer's mouth, his hands gripping my thighs. Jon looked right at Spencer, poised over Spencer's leg with the hot iron. "Ready?"

"You guys might not want to watch this," I could hear Ryan telling VT and Gabe, leading them around to the side of the trailer.

Spencer gave one sharp nod, and Jon pinned Spencer's leg with his free hand, pressing the iron right over the wound. Spencer writhed against our hold on him, screaming bloody murder through the gag, his nails biting into my legs. The sound of skin sizzling was too loud and the smell was worse, and it felt like the ordeal went on forever. Finally, finally Jon pulled the iron away, Spencer's skin red and angry where the iron burned it, the wound completely cauterized.

I dropped the handkerchief on the floor of the trailer so that I could pet Spencer's hair as he shook a little, trying to keep his breathing slow and deep as Jon spread some kind of salve on Spencer's thigh and wrapped it with gauze.

"Brendon, I had the key when the Bird showed up," Spencer muttered shakily, hissing a little when Jon accidentally moved his leg.

"Sorry."

Spencer laid his hand on Jon’s bicep, squeezing a little. "But I dropped it. It should still be over there."

I hugged Spencer close, nuzzling into his hair. "Don’t worry, Spence, I’ll get it."

I made sure that Spencer was comfortable leaning against Jon before hopping out of the trailer and making my way over to the Bird’s corpse. At first glance, I couldn’t see the key anywhere, and I walked around the entire thing looking for it.

"What are you doing, B?" Ryan must have followed me over when he realized I wasn’t in the trailer anymore.

I shook my head. "Spencer said he found the key but he dropped it over here. I can’t find it, though."

"Maybe the Bird fell on it."

I snapped my fingers and pointed at him before cupping my hands around my mouth and yelling for Gabe and VT. The four of us put together were able to move the Bird enough for VT to spot the key, and we returned to the trailer with it.

"Hey, Spence, Jon, we found- oh."

Jon opened his eyes and gently pulled away from Spencer’s lips, who pressed his face into Jon’s shoulder. From what I could see, Spencer was blushing. I quirked a triumphant eyebrow at Ryan.

Jon cleared his throat. "Right, so. Spencer and I will take the SUV, since it has bench seats he can lie down on. You guys can fight over who gets to drive the M-ATV and who gets to ride with who."

"Well, if you’re driving the SUV, Gabe and I can come with and we can tend to Spence," VT offered, looking over at Gabe.

Gabe shrugged.

"Sure thing," Jon agreed, turning to Ryan and I. "Guess that leaves you two with the M-ATV."

I saluted and Ryan punched my arm. "Gotcha, Chief."

"You guys got Spin?" Ryan asked, searching pockets for the key to the M-ATV.

Jon nodded. "Hey, bud, think you can walk?"

"I don’t know, maybe."

Jon steadied Spencer before jumping to the ground, reaching out to help Spencer down. Gabe and VT stood close just in case, but Jon got Spencer upright, Spencer putting all of his weight on his good leg and Jon. The two hobbled back towards the SUV, VT and Gabe following them.

I elbowed Ryan with a smile and jumped into the M-ATV, and he got in on the driver’s side. I looked out the window to find Jon and VT helping Spencer into the SUV as Ryan turned the key in the ignition.

"So, who owes who now?"

Ryan turned his head to look at me, snorting and shaking his head. "Don’t even start with me, Bren."

"No, fucking tell me that them making out in the back of the fucking trailer doesn’t count."

The SUV came hurtling around us, and Ryan took off after it. "It doesn’t count. Spencer’s hurt and Jon’s the best and oldest friend he has."

Ryan may not have voiced it, but I heard the, "that’s still alive," that ended that statement. And fuck, I knew exactly how that kind of shit went down. Ryan had been my only friend and companion for years.

"But we... do you think...?"

Ryan reached over to ruffle my hair. "It took us a while to figure it out too. Give 'em time."

We made it back to the shelter before sundown and somehow managed to get Spencer down the stairs and onto his bed. Jon busied himself with undressing Spencer while the rest of us brought the supplies in. By the time we'd brought everything in and locked up, Jon and Spencer were under their blanket, Spencer on his back and Jon on his side next to him, running his fingers through Spencer's hair.

Ryan grabbed a book from where they were stored in the gun cabinet and plopped down on our bed. I brought a few cans over for the four of us, sitting quietly between Ryan and Spencer.

Gabe and VT were eating on their bed when VT finally piped up with, "Do we have a needle and some thread, maybe some extra fabric? I think I can fix Spencer's pants."

Jon frowned thoughtfully, looking down at Spencer. "I don't know, maybe. Check the cabinets over the sink."

We all were always collecting things that could be useful, so god knows what kind of odds and ends were stashed away in there. VT went searching and eventually found something she could work with. She came over by the beds to grab Spencer's pants before going over to the table, sitting down and diligently beginning to fix the gash in the fabric.

"I would have just worn them like that until I found some others, but thanks, VT," Spencer called across the room in between sips of his fruit.

"Don't mention it," she replied with a smile. "It gives me something to do."

"Isn't it strange how one moment you can have a closet full of Armani suits, and the next moment you're stuck in a getup like this for the rest of your life?" Ryan muttered from his spot on the bed, turning a page in his book. "Hundreds of different outfits and then snap!-" he snapped his fingers as he said it "-all gone, and you have to wear the same clothes day in and day out."

"How tragic," Spencer muttered, rolling his eyes.

"You never had a closet full of Armani suits," I pointed out to Ryan. I didn't actually know that, but based on common sense...

"Well, no," he admitted, shrugging. "But the principle of the thing. I'm exaggerating to make a point."

Jon snorted, a quiet, "As usual," slipping out.

"We could just be naked all the time instead," Gabe suggested, and I couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or completely serious.

"There's an idea," I agreed, but hoping my tone was just as ambiguous.

"Well, you boys can get naked all you want, I'm not joining you," VT muttered from her place at the table.

"I'd be the only one even mildly interested," Gabe put in, and I looked over at Spencer and Jon worriedly.

I just barely caught the back end of a smile between the two that I probably shouldn't have seen, and Jon just shrugged. "He's got a point."

Ryan was the only one that seemed surprised, looking up from his book and giving Jon then Spencer curious glances. "Wait..."

"Maybe," Spencer answered, raising a challenging eyebrow at Ryan, and shit, we had barely been around these guys for a week and those two were already talking with their eyes.

They stared at each other for a moment longer before Ryan gave up, giving me a look that said, _Fine, you win_ , before going back to his book.

"Okay, so maybe it should be me not getting naked," Gabe thought aloud, but there was a slight curl to his lips.

"We're not interested," Jon, Spencer, Ryan, and I all replied at pretty much the same time, and suddenly the whole room burst into laughter.

Gabe was still smiling when he clapped a hand to his chest and gave us a mock-hurt look. "Ouch, you guys. Way to raise a guy's self-esteem."

We continued to banter until Spencer passed out, the rest of us getting the idea quickly afterwards. VT left her work at the table and went over to turn the light off, the room going pitch black and silent but for the breathing of six bodies.

"I love you," Ryan whispered, almost too quiet for even me to hear.

I snuggled back against him and squeezed his wrist in response. _I love you, too_.

***

Waiting for Spencer's leg to heal was like watching water boil. Jon had officially made it his job to wait on Spencer's hand and foot; changing his dressings, helping him to the toilet, and distracting him as best as he could when the pain was too much. There seemed to be a lot of Jon lying next to Spencer in bed, Spencer's face pressed into Jon's arm or chest with Jon petting Spencer's hair.

When Jon helped Spencer up one day the next week and Spencer swatted him away, the rest of us looked up curiously.

"I got it, Jon," Spencer muttered, most of his weight on his left leg. Jon tentatively pulled his hand away from Spencer's back and Spencer managed to stay upright. He tried to take a step forward and stumbled, Jon moving to catch him around the waist before he fell, steadying him.

"You okay?"

Spencer nodded and Jon let go again. I could tell he wanted to keep helping Spencer, but he knew that Spencer needed to do this or he'd never walk properly again. Spencer eased into another step, catching himself on the back of the couch when he felt like he was going to fall. He took another step, and then another, and when he managed to limp all the way over to the toilet by himself, all of us applauded, Jon grinning like mad.

"Yeah, yeah, fuck off and let me piss in peace," Spencer grumbled, but I could hear the smile in his voice.

Jon sat back down on his bed and I collapsed back on mine next to Ryan, nuzzling into his shoulder as he read yet another book. Ryan smiled, only taking his eyes off the page to kiss my forehead. VT and Gabe were humming a melody quietly, something they were making up on the spot, revising and correcting each other every so often.

"Jon, did you check the radio?" Spencer asked as he limped back over to the beds, sitting down carefully before scooting up the bed to lie down.

"No, I was too worried about you," Jon answered, slapping Spencer's ankle and standing up to go over to the loveseat, sitting cross-legged as he fiddled with the controls.

"Because I'm going to fall and die, right? Oh dear."

Jon shot Spencer an unimpressed face. "The floor is made of reinforced concrete. Not a very soft landing. You could hit your head."

"Just because-"

Suddenly there was a blip of noise on the radio and everyone froze, going silent. Jon cursed softly, trying to get back to the channel as quickly as possible.

"...anyone there? We're just outside of a large fenced in area with a couple of vehicles that look like they've been used recently and what seems to be the entrance to a blast shelter. If you have a radio and can hear us, please answer," came a rather deep female voice, and the signal was so clear because they had to be practically on top of us.

Jon grabbed the mic quickly. "Ten four, ma'am, this is Jon. There's six of us down here in the shelter."

"Awesome. This is Z, and there's just two of us. This is my companion, Tennessee."

"Hello, there," came another female voice, Tennessee I presumed, with a distinctly British accent.

"We recently caught wind of a community up in northern Canada where it's too cold for the Things to survive. Perhaps you all would like to join us?" Z continued.

Jon looked around at us.

"Let them in; I want to hear more about this place first," VT piped up, looking around to see if the rest of us agreed. We did.

"Alright," Jon agreed as well, going back to the mic. "Why don't we let you ladies in and we can talk more about this?"

"Sure thing," Tennessee answered this time. "It would be nice to take a rest from driving all this way."

"Be right up. Out," Jon told them, turning off the radio. He got up then and grabbed the keys before venturing outside.

I frowned, skeptical. "Maybe someone should go with him," I muttered, getting up and following Jon before anyone else could offer or protest. Jon turned his head to figure out who had followed him as he unlocked the outside doors.

"What, you think they're going to eat me?"

"No, I just don't really like having anyone alone anywhere, safe or not," I told him, and we both smiled when we realized I sounded a lot like Spencer.

He pushed the doors open and turned to clap me on the shoulder. "You're a good man, B."

We made our way outside and found a small silver car parked just beyond the gate. Jon went over to unlock it and let them drive in.

"God, have you ever driven so long your legs start to cramp?" Z sighed as she stepped out of the driver's seat. She was fairly tall, about as tall as Jon and I, her blonde hair cropped short at the nape of her neck. She was wearing a long-sleeved, red-orange flower print dress and knee-high brown boots, and she looked sweet but like she could kick your ass at the same time.

"No, but I have walked that far," I told her, offering my hand. "I'm Brendon, that's Jon over there."

Tennessee walked around the car just as Jon came back, shaking Z's hand as well. "Brendon, yeah? I like that name." She had on a knee-length black and white plaid dress with frills at the cuffs and the collar and an ancient pair of saddle oxfords. She was a little taller than Z, but the two seemed to be the same age. Her long brown hair fluttered a little in the wind, and she pushed it away from her face with her free hand, as Jon was shaking the other.

I smiled at her. "Tennessee, right? I like that name too," I replied, shaking her hand when Jon let go.

"Well, come on down with us and meet everyone," Jon offered, leading us back down the stairs to the shelter.

Introductions were made all around and the two girls gushed over how nice our shelter was. We got them to sit down after a moment and we began to trade stories, mostly explaining how everyone met and why Spencer didn't want to move from the bed.

"So about this place in Canada," VT began when there was a lull. "How did you two find out about it?"

"Well, we actually heard about it a year ago, when our friends Alex, Annie, and Laena were still living out in LA with us. We didn't think it was such a good idea, but they did. They found the place and came back about a week ago to tell us all about it." Z crossed her legs and leaned back against the couch. "We didn't go with them immediately because Tenn and I had some things to work out, but."

The two shared a quick glance before looking back at us.

"What kind of resources are there? Are there a lot of survivors there?" VT prompted, ignoring Tennessee's awkward fidgeting and Z's stiff posture.

"Alex told us it was a lot like New York before the Things, except smaller," Tennessee explained, pressing her palms flat against her thighs. "There's a hospital, plenty of food and water, shelter, a library-"

I felt Ryan sit up a bit straighter at that, and I elbowed him playfully. He shouldered me back, never taking his eyes off Tennessee as she talked.

"-and there's even a local power source for the whole community. It's like this one little place was isolated from all the chaos or something."

"Sounds pretty badass to me," Spencer muttered from his place on the bed, and Jon nodded his agreement.

"If those three can survive there, anyone can," Z commented, and Tennessee laughed easily.

"Well, I'm convinced," Gabe piped up, looking over at VT. "I vote we go."

VT looked over at Ryan and I, then Jon and Spencer. "Boys?"

"Totally," I answered, and I could practically hear the other three nodding.

VT smiled at the two other women in the room. "Well, I guess that settles it."

"You two should rest before we get going, though," Jon added, meaning Tennessee and Z. "We can leave in the morning."

We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening talking about anything and everything, sharing food and laughing at each other. Jon offered the girls a place to sleep wherever they could fit, so Z curled up on the couch and Tennessee claimed the edge of the pull out bed closest to Z. I smiled and snuggled closer to Ryan when I saw Tennessee reach out for Z's hand just before Jon turned out the lights.

"There's so much love in here," I whispered to Ryan, unable to stop smiling. Everything just felt so right in the world, even in our situation.

Ryan kissed my cheek, pulling me closer with a strong hand at my back. "It's the only thing that keeps us going. You're the only thing that keeps me going."

I smiled harder, even if he couldn't see it in the dark, and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips, twining our toes together beneath the blanket. "I love you too, Ry."


	3. Chapter 3

We all woke early the next morning to begin our trek north into Canada.

"Should we just bring everything?" Jon yawned, surveying the room.

"Wouldn't do us any good just to leave it here," VT answered, her thinking face on as well. "Can we fit the couches and the beds in the trailer all at once?"

"We sure as hell can try," Spencer put in, cracking open a can of food for breakfast from his nest on the bed. "Honestly, I'm pretty sure they'll fit; the trailer is pretty big."

"You won't be trying anything, mister. You're going to sit your happy butt in the SUV and watch," Jon reprimanded Spencer, getting all protective and motherly again.

Spencer rolled his eyes. I bit my lip to keep from laughing at the scene.

"Well, we won't know unless we do it," Ryan added, pulling on his boots and slapping my knee as he stood.

Jon nodded in affirmation. "Let's start with the couches. Someone wake up Gabe."

"'M awake," Gabe muttered from the sleeper sofa, voice half muffled by his pillow.

Within an hour, we had everything loaded into the trailer, M-ATV, SUV, and whatever extra space Z and Tennessee had in their car. I figured we had everything, but Spencer didn't seem to want to leave. Everyone else was waiting outside, and Jon and I were trying to wrangle Spencer out as well.

"I don't know, you guys. This has been home for me for years now. It feels wrong to just leave."

Jon had to stand on his tip-toes to hook his chin over Spencer's shoulder, wrapping his arms around Spencer's waist.

"I mean, it's…"

"I know," Jon whispered, pressing his nose against the side of Spencer's neck. "But sometimes you just have to say goodbye and let go. It's time to find a new home."

Spencer rested his hands over Jon's on his stomach, turning his head to press a kiss to Jon's temple. "Alright."

We finally managed to get Spencer outside and everyone in a vehicle; Z and Tennessee in their car, Jon and Spencer in the SUV, and Gabe, VT, Ryan, and I in the M-ATV. VT was driving and we were leading the convoy of sorts, so I jumped out to unlock the gate one last time. We had a radio in each vehicle, but Z's directions had been simple; drive north until you can't anymore.

"Let's rock this bitch," VT muttered, stepping on the gas and leaving the shelter behind in our dust.

We tried to entertain ourselves for a while, playing games and singing, but after a while we were too worn out, content to drive along in silence. I propped my feet up on Ryan's lap and leaned back against the door, shutting my eyes for just a moment.

***

I must have dozed off for a while because when I woke up the sun glared through the windows from high overhead, and VT must have switched spots with Gabe at some point as she was curled up in the passenger seat asleep.

"Where are we?" I sat up and looked around; considering the only view out the window was desert, it didn't really help.

"Probably still somewhere in the middle of Nevada," Ryan answered, his eyes closed and his head leaned back against the window.

"We're actually making pretty good time," Gabe commented, glancing back at us. "We should hit Canada before nightfall."

"And by Z's calculations, we should find the place by midnight." Ryan then opened his eyes to look at me.

I smiled, poking him in the stomach with my foot. He grinned in response, his eyes sparkling with hope and determination. None of us were sure what the future would bring, but we knew this place in Canada was our only hope for long term survival.

After a few more hours we stopped again, Ryan taking the wheel this time. We began to see more and more trees as we ventured farther north, much more vegetation than any of us had seen in years. Just as Gabe predicted, we reached the Canadian border just before sundown, the only remaining signs of life being an abandoned border patrol station and crumbled pieces of concrete.

We stopped again to regroup, allowing Z and Tennessee to lead with Jon and Spencer following them, the rest of us pulling up the rear. I was on driving duty then; Ryan sitting next to me, with VT behind me and Gabe behind Ryan.

We had no idea what we were in for.

"Did you guys hear that?" VT asked later, after the sky had gone black.

"Hear what?" Ryan asked, and as soon as he did, I heard it; a low, shuddering thud, quiet, as if it were several miles away.

"That," VT and I responded at the same time.

It came again, this time louder and sounding much closer. "Yeah, I hear it now. Sounds like it's coming from behind us."

Everyone tried to turn around to look, but the only windows were on the doors, and the angle made it impossible to see anything directly behind us.

"Whatever it is, it sounds huge," Gabe added, as the thudding became no longer just sound but we could feel it too, like a small earthquake.

I grabbed the microphone to the radio, flipping it on. "Can you guys hear that thudding?"

"Yeah, it's shaking the whole car," Spencer replied from the SUV. "Can anyone see what that is?"

"It doesn't matter what it is," Tennessee popped in, her accent making the whole situation seem twenty times more dangerous, like the Red Queen in the Resident Evil movies. "Whatever you do, do not stop driving."

I swallowed, beginning to feel the fear seep in as the thing drew closer, little earthquakes making the vehicle shudder every few seconds.

"Why do I get the feeling that this isn't going to end well?" Ryan muttered, shrinking down in his seat.

I rolled my eyes, trying not to let my nervousness show. "Because you're a woobie and you watched Jurassic Park too many times as a kid."

Like a clap of thunder and a lightning strike in the same instant, something massive hit the ground next to the back right tire, making all of us jump and I swerved as the shockwave threw me off.

"Holy shit."

"Yeah, now tell me I've watched Jurassic Park too many times."

"Now is not the time to be arguing, boys," VT cut in, sounding just as hysterical as I felt.

"We need to do something," Gabe exclaimed, clutching his gun.

"Gabe-"

Suddenly the world was tipping over, metal creaking and groaning before everything was upside down, metal crunching sickly. Someone cried out in pain, but I couldn't tell who it was. When everything seemed to settle, I realized the M-ATV was on its left side, my shoulder pressed up against the driver's side door. I looked up to find Ryan's silhouette still belted into his seat, whimpering as he dangled by only one strap, one hand gripping the door and the other his seat. I turned my head to check on Gabe and VT only to find them in a similar position.

I took a deep breath and realized it had been me that cried out; I must have hit the door pretty hard because my ribs felt bruised. "Is everyone alright?"

Three scared, feeble "yeah"'s floated back to me, so I tried to move, but it hurt and I gasped at the shock of pain.

"Brendon?" Ryan called out, his eyes searching me in the dark.

"I'm fine," I replied, carefully unbuckling myself so that I could lay flat against the door. I moved wrong again and tried to hold back my reaction, but I ended up letting out a squeak of pain anyway. "I think I might have cracked a rib."

"Shit," Ryan hissed, and I could just hear him trying to figure out how to get himself down to help me.

"I gotcha," VT called, unbuckling herself and crawling over my seat. "Left side?"

"Yeah."

She pulled me up, careful of my side, and sat me down so that my back was leaned up against the roof.

"How the fuck are we going to get out of here?" I whispered, trying to find a happy medium between breathing and not moving.

Before anyone could think of an answer, there was a loud screech outside, more than likely made by whatever had knocked over the M-ATV. Yelling and gunshots broke out, followed by more screeching, whatever it was stomping around and shaking the ground.

"We've gotta help them, shit," Gabe growled, flinging his door open. He got a good handle on the edge of the doorframe with one hand and unbuckled himself with the other, throwing that hand up to catch himself before he fell. He hauled himself out of the M-ATV with only his arms before sticking his head back in. "Come on!"

Ryan unbuckled himself and VT helped him down to stable footing next to me. He and VT picked me up as gently as possible and lifted me up to Gabe, who grabbed me and set me down on the front passenger side door. From there, I could finally see what was going down; the biggest Bird I had ever seen was standing amidst a giant field of dirty snow, kicking and screeching at Jon, Tennessee, and Z as they ran around trying to kill it.

"Holy shit."

VT and Ryan managed to make it out of the M-ATV and were making their way down to the ground. Gabe came over to me to help me down to them before they set me down against one of the tires.

"You two stay here," Ryan told VT and I before turning to Gabe. "Let's go."

The Bird must have noticed us moving around, because it turned for Ryan and Gabe, kicking out at them. Ryan fell over trying to dodge its huge talons, and Gabe ducked just in time.

"VT, you have to help them," I wheezed, the pain getting more intense by the minute.

She was checking under my shirt to try to assess the damage. "You could be seriously injured, Bren, I can’t just leave you here."

I looked down at my side; there was a large, nasty bruise forming, and she was probably right, but, "They need you more than I do right now. We have to kill this thing and get to safety first." My eyelids were drooping as I spoke, my vision blurring a little.

"Brendon, no! You have to stay awake!" She slapped me and my eyes shot open to see her worried face inches from mine. "You have to stay with me, B."

Breathing was becoming harder by the second, so I tried to take my mind off of it by watching the scene before us. It didn't look good; we had plenty of firepower, but the Bird was so huge that trying to shoot it in the head was like trying to shoot an apple from a mile away. Not to mention they had to keep dodging its attacks, the five of them running around in circles like tiny ants.

The world started to spin after a while, and I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping to stave off the nausea bubbling up my throat.

"You still with me?" VT petted my hair, doing her best to take care of me. After so many years, it felt nice to have a feminine presence, a motherly figure around.

I opened my eyes to make sure she wouldn't slap me again. "It hurts." I wanted to clutch my side, but I thought better of it.

"I know."

Then the inevitable happened; the Bird lashed out with its foot, catching Gabe in the side and swiping him hard into Ryan, throwing them both like ragdolls nearly thirty feet before landing. Neither of them moved.

"Gabe!" VT shrieked, hesitating between running over to him and staying with me.

"VT, go." It was no more than a whisper.

Holding my face in her hands, she kissed my cheek. "Hang in there, B, you're gonna be alright."

I nodded once, giving her what I hoped was a comforting smile. She smiled back before turning to run towards Gabe and Ryan, pulling out one of her guns for defense. I stayed conscious just long enough to see her drop to her knees next to Gabe's body before I blacked out.

***

"… _didn't stand a chance_ …"

 

"… _have to get him to a doctor, fast_ …"

 

"… _taking him with_ …"

 

"… _gone into shock_ …"

 

"… _if he'll make it. He's lost a lot of_ …"

 

"… _internal bleeding. We have to operate_ …"

 

"… _still hasn't regained consciousness_ …"

 

"… _patched him up, he should_ …"

 

"… _is Ryan okay? I heard_ …"

 

"…for Brendon. Hey, I think he's coming around. Brendon? Can you hear me?"

I opened my eyes before snapping them closed again against the sudden bright light.

"Jon, shut the light off."

There was a soft click, and I opened my eyes again. There were still lights on, but it wasn't as bright, and I could see VT and Spencer at my side, Jon walking back over from the light switch by the door.

"Welcome back, Bren," Spencer greeted softly. "How do you feel?"

I took a moment to listen to my body; there was the faint twinge of pain in my side where I'd cracked my rib, but otherwise, I felt pretty numb. I attempted to convey this, but my throat was dry and all that came out was a hoarse whisper.

"Shit, sorry," VT muttered, grabbing a cup from the table beside her and holding it to my mouth. I lifted my arm to try and hold the cup but sudden pain shot through my whole body and I cried out.

"Brendon, you have to stay still," Spencer ordered, jumping up and wincing himself. His leg must have still hurt. "You got out of surgery just an hour ago, you'll tear your stitches."

I let VT help me drink some water before muttering, "Surgery?" I suddenly recognized where I was; I hadn't seen a hospital in years.

"When the M-ATV rolled over?" VT clarified. "You actually broke four ribs and had some internal bleeding. You would have bled out they didn't operate to fix it."

The M-ATV rolling over - the Bird - oh god, "Ryan. Gabe. Are-are they alright?"

The three looked at each other before sitting down around me.

"Gabe - when the Bird kicked him, its- one of its talons went through his chest." VT fiddled with the bed sheets. "It punctured one of his lungs. He-he didn't make it."

I crept my hand over to hers, stopping her fidgeting. "God, VT, I-I'm sorry."

She moved her hands so that she was holding mine, a bittersweet smile on her lips. "The Bird's talon went through to Ryan, but it didn't pierce any organs. He-he lost a lot of blood, a-and he must have hit his head pretty hard when he hit the ground. He's been unconscious since, but they think he'll wake up soon."

"The doctors here are taking good care of him. You too," Jon added.

"And Z and Tennessee?"

"They went to find their friends. They said they'd be back to visit you and Ryan in the morning," Spencer replied.

"What time is it?"

"It's nearly three in the morning," came a voice from the door. I turned my head to find a relatively young man with messy blonde hair, blue eyes, a full beard and a lip ring. He was wearing a white coat with the name _Dr. Robert Bryar_ stitched above the pocket and a stethoscope hung around his neck. "You kids should be in bed."

"Wait… How long have I been out?"

"Just a few hours. We got here a little after midnight." Jon turned to Dr. Bryar. "Would it be alright if we stayed here in the hospital for the night? We haven't actually found a place to stay yet."

Dr. Bryar smiled. "This isn't some Better Living Industries facility; of course you can spend the night here. Besides, this isn't your average hospital."

"It's one of the only ones left, I would imagine," VT commented.

Dr. Bryar nodded. "We're one of the only zones left that has one. Some don't." He turned to me then. "You're pretty damn lucky, kid. Your friend, too."

"As long as I've got that on my side," I muttered, my ribs aching more as the minutes ticked by.

"Are you in any pain, Brendon?" Dr. Bryar asked, frowning at the vital display over my head.

"I'm feeling it, that's for sure." I winced as breathing hurt.

Dr. Bryar stepped over to the side of my bed, swiping a card next to the IV drip bag of what I assumed to be morphine. He entered some kind of code, and we could see the liquid flowing through the tube down into my arm. "That should keep you through the night. As for the rest of you, the nurses' station down the hall has pillows and blankets. The couch over there folds out into a small cot; I wouldn't recommend trying to fit more than two people on it, though," he added with a grin. "But there's one in Ryan's room as well; you're welcome to stay in there too."

"Thank you, Doctor," Spencer replied, getting to his feet with some difficulty.

"Have a good night, kids," Dr. Bryar called as he stepped out. "Get some sleep."

Spencer stepped over to Jon and urged him to his feet. "We'll sleep in Ryan's room; I'll bring you a pillow and a blanket," he told VT, leading Jon out of the room.

"VT… Dr. Bryar mentioned Better Living Industries… what the hell is that?"

She shook her head. "I haven't asked, but I don't think it's a good thing; there's propaganda all over the city banning all of their products and anyone associated with the company." She stood up then, leaning in to press a kiss to my forehead. "We can worry about it later, though. Go to sleep, B."

I yawned as she turned to fold out the couch, settling back against my pillows. I shifted a little to get comfortable, wary of my side, before shutting my eyes.

***

I woke up sometime later with a gasp, whimpering when it hurt - a lot. I realized that any movement at all, even barely breathing made my side sear with pain. It was unbearable, like the pain would kill me, and I couldn't even attempt to whimper any louder to get someone's attention because it hurt that much.

"Shit," I heard someone mutter, followed by a soft thump and some shuffling. "Nurse! Doctor! Someone!" they called, and my brain wasn't capable of comprehending anything right then other than _painpainpain_ , so I opened my eyes to figure out who was with me. However, I still couldn't see through the blurry film of tears that I realized were rolling down my cheeks.

Hands cupped my face, and a worried but soothing voice said, "Shh, Brendon, it’s okay, you're okay."

As I tried to blink the tears away, I noticed the voice had a strong British accent, and maybe I was dreaming, but the pain seemed to be fading a little. When I could see, Tennessee was sitting beside me, worried eyes searching my face as she brushed the tears away with her thumbs. A third hand was brushing my hair from my forehead and, turning slightly, I could see blonde hair out of the corner of my eye - Z.

VT, Jon, and Spencer swarmed in then, all worried faces and questioning eyes. They seemed to calm down once they noticed I was alright and that was when I really felt the morphine kick in.

"What happened?" VT asked, coming to stand beside Tennessee.

"Painkillers must've worn off while he was sleeping. Woke up crying, poor thing," Tennessee explained, still petting my face. "I've never broken a rib myself, but I can imagine it hurts quite a bit."

VT curled her hand into mine. "But you're okay now, right, B?"

I hummed in response, nodding slowly. I could feel the morphine in my system, making my reaction to everything delayed, but there was no pain anymore, so I smiled.

VT laughed. "There's a smile."

I rolled my head a little and noticed Jon and Spencer. Suddenly all I could think of was Ryan. "Ryan. Ryan, how is he?"

VT squeezed my hand a little, and I looked back at her. "He's… okay. He's getting more responsive; he's opening his eyes by himself and he's… communicating. He's not quite up to par mobility-wise, but the doctors say he'll pull through alright."

"When can I see him?"

VT cast a pleading look at Jon and Spencer that I probably wasn't meant to see.

"Soon," Spencer assured me. "You both need to get your strength up first."

A few more glances were passed around and over my head, and I had the strong feeling they all knew something I didn't, something that was going to affect me in the long run. I didn't like it, but I was getting too drowsy to complain.

"Tell him- tell him I love him, yeah?" I mumbled around a yawn, letting my eyes fall closed.

***

The next couple of days were nothing more than eat, sleep, get up and walk the hallways to keep up my strength. No one would tell me where Ryan's room was, no one would let me visit him, and no one would tell me any more than a vague, "He's doing better," whenever I inquired about his status. So when Spencer came into my room after dinner a few nights later, I put on my best pout.

"Can I see Ryan yet?"

"Look, Brendon, there's something you need to know about Ryan."

"What's wrong with him?"

"He… he can communicate, but… not normally."

I glared at Spencer, hoping the gravity of how important it was that I knew exactly what was wrong was evident in my face.

"He's- well, he's not exactly mute, but he can't speak properly-"

"Fuck."

Spencer rested a comforting hand on my shoulder, sighing. "He can understand what we're saying though. And he can still read and write."

"Why has nobody told me about this?"

"We didn't want to upset you, especially not the docs. They were afraid you'd get belligerent and do something to tear your stitches."

I had a fiery retort just on the back of my tongue, but I swallowed it and sighed instead. "Is it permanent?"

Spencer hesitated. "The neurologist, Dr. Hurley said it doesn't look promising."

I let out a frustrated huff, and Spencer squeezed my shoulder. "Still want to see him?"

I nodded and Spencer helped me out of bed, leading me down the hallway and around a corner I'd never explored where there were two- "Elevators," I hissed in wonder, staring at the reflective surface of the sliding doors.

Spencer laughed. "You should have seen Jon when we first saw them. Had to press every button," he added with a fond smile, pressing the up button to call the elevator.

As it turned out, there were only four buttons, one for each level, and Spencer took us to the top floor. Ryan's room was the fourth door on the left, but Spencer stopped me before I went in.

"This probably sounds silly, but… be patient with him. This is stressing him out as much as the rest of us."

I nodded and Spencer led the way in.

"Hey, Ryan, guess who I brought with me this time?"

Spencer moved out of the way so that Ryan could see me, but then I could also see Ryan for the first time since that night with the Bird; half of his head was shaved, a large bandage taped just above his ear. From what I knew about his injuries, I suspected there was a bandage over some part of his stomach as well where the Bird's talon went through.

I sat next to his bed, trying to calm myself down; it seemed like I hadn't seen him in ages, and now that I was there, I wanted to cry with how overjoyed I felt. "Ryan," was all I could say, reaching my hand out to cup his jaw.

He wrapped his long fingers around my wrist, pulling my hand away to press a kiss to my palm before pressing my hand over his chest, settling his hand over mine.

I could feel my eyes burning with unshed tears and I bit my lip as I smiled. "I love you too, Ry."

Ryan used his free hand to mime wiping tears from my face before pointing at my chest.

Confused, I tilted my head a little. "My ribs? Are you asking about my ribs?" I looked over at Spencer as Ryan shook his head.

Spencer watched Ryan do it again. "I think he means don't cry-" Ryan nodded immediately at that, then pointing at my ribs again. "Or you'll tear your stitches?"

Ryan beamed at Spencer before turning it on me.

I could only laugh, a stilted, ugly sound because it hurt to laugh normally, but it was a laugh nonetheless.

"I'll be fine, Ry. We both will be."

***

The day finally came when the doctors said I could leave. Jon and VT had been out with Z, Tennessee, and their friend Alex whenever they could, looking for a place for us to live. They had found a place a few days before, near where Z and Tennessee were living with their friends, and had spent the days up to my release furnishing it with whatever we had brought with us and various other things.

I was gingerly putting my shirt on when VT burst into my room. "Brendon, hurry up, you have to come upstairs!"

I finished tugging my shirt down over my head and smoothed it out. "What, why? Is there something wrong with Ryan?" I asked, following her out the door and down the hall to the elevators.

She turned around after pressing the up button and I could finally see the broad smile on her face. "No, no, I have wonderful news. And I wanted to let everyone know at once."

I sighed as the elevator dinged and we stepped in, VT pressing the four button. "So you're going to tease me, huh? I hate you."

She grinned at me and ruffled my hair.

We reached the top floor and VT almost ran to Ryan's room, and I struggled to keep up with her long legs. Jon and Spencer were already there, as were Z, Tennessee, and what I assumed were their friends, Alex, Annie, and Laena. Z quickly affirmed my assumption, introducing me to them.

"Okay, okay, everyone quiet," VT called after a moment, standing at the foot of Ryan's bed. "I wanted everyone to be here so that I wouldn't have to announce this twice." She bit her lip then, contemplating. "I'm not sure if there's any kind of… protocol on how to say this, or whatever, but… I'm two months pregnant."

"VT… just, wow," I muttered, laughing at my inelegant response. I stepped up to hug her, both of us still careful of my side. It sounded bad in my head no matter how I worded it, but I had to know, "Gabe's?"

VT stepped back to look at me, screwing up her face into a frown. "No, it's Ryan's." Ryan made a squawking noise behind me, sounding like a protest if I ever heard one, and VT laughed. "Are you kidding, B? Of course it's Gabe's."

I grinned. "Just making sure."

Congratulations ran amuck at that, everyone celebrating in their own way; hugs, kisses, laughing, and smiling. I found myself in a chair next to Ryan after a while, both of us grinning at each other.

"She's going to need help," I realized finally, my smile dropping. "You know, when the baby comes."

Ryan nodded his agreement.

"Not that she can't handle a baby by herself but… she doesn't have anyone, really, now that Gabe..."

Ryan pressed a hand to my chest, looking up at me with eyes full of intent.

I frowned. "Me?"

Ryan shook his head, pointing to himself, then me, then VT.

"Us? You-you want us to help her?"

He nodded, a smile forming on his face again.

I couldn't help but smile back at him, reaching to cup the side of his face. "We'll talk to her about it, alright?"

Ryan beamed, nuzzling into my touch.

A nurse walked in right in the middle of our celebration, but grinned at VT before checking on Ryan. He glanced around the room after a moment and froze, staring over at Spencer and Jon. "Walker? Spencer?"

Jon and Spencer turned to look at the nurse, grinning when they both recognized him at the same time.

"William."

"Beckett."

The three huddled together in a tight hug, laughing at each other. They didn't separate for a while, talking to each other animatedly.

"What about Zack and Tom?" Spencer asked at some point, and it caught my attention. I suddenly realized who this William guy was; one of Jon's old friends from before they met Spencer. Tom had been one of Jon's friends as well, and Zack had been with Spencer. I remembered the story they had told about the giant Bird taking off with the ambulance Tom, William, and Zack had been driving.

"Zack's here too; he's been keeping the peace around here. Tom… he died last year, just before we found out about this place."

Eventually William had to leave - "Things to do, you know." - and the three promised to keep in touch.

"Hey, VT," Spencer called over the noise after William was gone, making her turn to him. "Got any names picked out yet?"

She grinned. "A couple."

 

_About seven months later…_

 

VT had a death grip on my hand, Ryan clinging to the other, and Jon and Spencer loomed over VT's other side.

"One more push, Victoria, that should do it," Dr. Stump told her over her heavy breathing, his head poking over the sheet draped across VT's legs. "On the next contraction, you can do it."

"Come on, VT," I whispered, squeezing her hand back.

We could all tell when the next contraction came; her face scrunched in pain and she lifted the upper half of her body, grunting with the effort she was putting into pushing. My fingers were going numb in her grip.

A shrill cry rang out just as VT collapsed back onto the bed, exhausted.

"Congratulations, Victoria, you're the mother of a beautiful baby girl." Dr. Stump hefted the baby over the sheet, placing her in VT's waiting arms, still crying out.

VT softly shushed the little girl, cradling her with the widest grin I'd ever seen on her face.

Ryan drew squiggles over my heart with his free hand, and I glanced over to see him gesturing at the baby.

"Ryan wants to know what you're going to name her."

"Gabriela," VT replied without looking away from her daughter, her smile never fading. "Gabriela Hope Saporta."


End file.
